Adieu, Adieu, adieu Sefro

27/5
Today we leave Sefro to drive our car to Fabriano,  the only nearby town where we could leave it.  So very happy to return the car and pleased we have not damaged it, ourselves or anyone else.
What a relief. 
As it turns out, we are driven to Rome airport by Gianfranco, wife Patrizia and youngest son Samuelo, who never seems to go to school. They had taken Samuelo to Ancona for tests leaving at 5ish in the morning. Taking us to Rome added at least an extra 5 hours driving to their already huge day.  Family.

Samuelo

 

After hours in Rome airport, we fly to Dubai arriving in the morning, due to time changes.

 

 

Some thoughts as we leave Italy:

Fast, scattered vitality

Loud, bright mayhem.

 

Not helped by ferocious smoking, ferocious driving and ferocious consumerism.

Not to mention rampant and probably ferocious sexism.

 

But it gets in  your blood if it is not already in there....

 

Arrividerci

Of fish and men

25/5 & 26/5
Sunday , 25/5, was the day of the vote for both the European Parliament and locally for the Commune of Sefro.( like local council elections.)

 It was also the day the young men of Sefro went fishing and took Paul with them.  Fishing is big in this area and trout is abundant.  Paul managed to find a fish on his line and bring it to shore with some help. The husband of Elisa (Gianfranco's daughter), Andrea who lives here and had all the equipment caught none. Gianfranco's two sons Matteo and Samuelo caught heaps.   Lucky as we ate them the next day.

Paul with fish that Matteo had wrapped in a towel to keep Paul's hands clean after Samuelo and Matteo helped reel it in.

 

 

 

Monday,26/5 was the day the election results  came in plus the day we went to a funeral parlour. Andrea is a mortician in Castelraimondo and agreed to show us his showroom after one of us expressed interest in funerals and coffins.

 

This is a monument built recently in  Castelraimondo to remember fallen Italian soldiers from recent 'actions'

Coffins.

 

We then went to Mettalica, a nearby town which is really ancient. Walked around without a map and no Tom Tom.

 

This is a fruit shop, not a lolly shop.

 

 

 

This is a pasticherie(cake shop).  Remember it is about balance, cake, fruit, cake.

 

another church.

Pope John Paul II, recently sainted, visited Metallica.

 

 

Quick aside on the Election locally:  Gianfranco's son Matteo was part of one of the syndicates up for election. However, his cousin's husband (Corrado) was a candidate for the other syndicate which caused some family discord.  Particularly when Matteo did not win.  Tough dinner that night at Gianfranco's. Not the food as the trout was fantastic.

 

True Grit

24/5 Saturday
Gab's cousin Gianfranco suggested we go to a day at a fair.  The Wild Nature fair.

This fair was an expo devoted to huntin',  shootin',  and fishin'.  These pastimes are popular in the mountains of Sefro  and we were really keen to go.

Just as at all fairs, there were the usual stands for veggie slicers, fruit juicers, olive oil and coffee machines which was a bit odd.
But what made this fair different to any fairs we had reviously attended, was the range and quantity of guns on offer.  Rifles, bullets, mahogany security cabinets,  bird lure things that spun around, knives, pistols and lots of camouflage clothing (kid stuff was so cute until you thought about it) everywhere.

Olive oil and other goods at the fair

Baddddd guns

Animal things. (Info on the hunted and the hunter, including huntin' dogs)

The hunter

 Keeping the guns safe

Books on weapons,  mainly guns

 The bird lure things,(carousel of ..)

 

There was even a shooting range where you could test your shootin' against clay targets.  Gab's cousin, Gianfranco, had a few goes but neither Paul nor Gab did. Shot some photos instead... (Sorry)

The sensible man at the shootin' range was never going to let Paul get his hands on that gun.



There was a fishing display in a plastic pool but it was a joke compared to the guns. A guy hooked his  hook to the plastic at the bottom of the pool which was a bit sad and embarrassing.  Lots of shootin' in the background.  Great.

In fact, we hold the shootin' responsible for Paul's burst ear drums and hearing loss.  That or the really loud music accompanying the shootin'.  Not sure if this video will work but gives an idea of the atmosphere and noise of guns and music ('We are the Champions'  and 'Eye of the Tiger' on loud rotation).

 

Sefro: family, food, fat(ter)

21/5, 22/5 
Our second and third day in Sefro were amazing as were all our dinners and other family things.

I like swans

grotto for Mary

huntin dog

huntin pig

wood fire oven in the backyard in which lasagne and pizzas cooked.

 

 

Lots of family photos taken at lots of family meals requiring the eating of lots of Italian food.

Spiaggia (beach)

23/5
Driving  back to Sefro from Chieti, we were enticed by the blue Adriatic we could see in the distance to take an exit off the autostrada to Porta San Georgio so we could see and feel sand and ocean.  We were homesick.

Aside:  Driving in Italy
-Lanes (what lanes?
-Seatbelts (What is that pinging noise?)
-Mobile phones  (mandatory whilst driving?)
-Speed limits (who cares?)
-Pedestrian crossings (Che??)

Porta San Giorgio was very pretty but it was not a great day weatherwise so we probably did not see the best of it. And it sent the Tom Tom into spasms as we went off route and it kept telling  us firmly and dispassionately to turn around as soon as possible whilst re-planning at a frantic pace.Fun.

 A bit of fish for lunch at Porta San Georgio

this boat said Sydney which is worth photographing.